Kiran Dnyaneshwar Shinde

Head of IT & Digital Transformation | Real Estate & Finance Innovator | UAE

With nearly two decades of experience in technology, Kiran Dnyaneshwar Shinde has been at the forefront of IT leadership and digital transformation across industries including BFSI, hospitality, aviation, and now real estate. Currently driving change at one of the UAE’s leading real estate organizations, Kiran is passionate about leveraging AI, machine learning, and data-driven strategies to shape the future of customer experience and operational excellence.

Over the years, he has spearheaded game-changing initiatives such as SAP rollouts, AI-powered analytics for ESG goals, and enterprise-wide digital transformation projects. Before his move to real estate, Kiran made a strong mark at Aditya Birla Capital by integrating advanced digital tools that scaled business performance.

A strong advocate of blue-sky thinking and design-led digital solutions, Kiran believes in combining innovation with empathy—always stepping into the customer’s shoes to design smarter, simpler, and more impactful digital journeys.

Today, he is not only leading technology adoption at scale but also mentoring the next generation of professionals to embrace cloud-first strategies, predictive AI, and customer-centric PropTech innovations. His vision aligns closely with the UAE’s forward-looking digital agenda, making him a true PropTech pioneer.

Experience

19+ years

Global certifications

10+

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Kiran, can you tell us a little about your journey and how you started in IT?

I began as a C++ and C developer during college, later working on mainframes and assembler. Over time, I grew into roles like team lead, architect, and project manager, working with giants like HDFC and Aditya Birla before moving to the UAE real estate sector.

Why did you choose the real estate industry, especially in the UAE?

I always had personal interest in real estate and understood its business flow. The UAE’s booming property market, combined with opportunities in digitization, made it the perfect place to contribute and learn.

How has digital transformation reshaped the real estate industry in recent years?

Digitization isn’t new, but it has become powerful with cloud adoption, AI, machine learning, and affordable processing power. These advances improved customer experience, automation, and government-driven AI initiatives, especially in the UAE.

In your 19 years of experience, what challenges have you faced in digital implementation?

Challenges include scope creep, governance gaps, and unclear requirements. Overcoming them requires strong design thinking, empathy for customers, and clear planning to ensure adoption and project success.

What emerging technologies will have the most impact on real estate?

Cloud-first adoption, ERP-to-cloud migration, middleware integrations, and AI-driven predictive analytics will be key. Data warehouses fueling AI/ML models will reshape how real estate understands customer needs and project planning.

What advice would you give to aspiring professionals in digital transformation?

Think with “blue-sky” creativity and always step into the customer’s shoes. Empathy, design thinking, and empowering your teams are critical for delivering meaningful digital solutions.

What big trends will shape PropTech in the next 5–10 years?

Generative AI and predictive analytics will lead the way. Customer segmentation and predictive models will drive personalized projects, transforming how real estate developers design and sell properties.

How is the UAE embracing PropTech, and what role do you see for yourself?

The UAE is rapidly adopting digital solutions across real estate. My role is to select and tailor technologies like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics to fit our organization’s culture, data, and business style, ensuring sustainable adoption.